Statistics to cite

U.S. health statistics

A baby born in the U.S. in 2024 could expect to live 78.9 years. In the 12 months through June 2025, heart disease and cancer were the leading causes of death, and 65,351 people died of drug overdoses in the 12 months ending May 2026, on provisional CDC counts.

13 key numbers from 9 charts. They update themselves when new data comes out; newest data as of May 31, 2026.

  1. U.S. life expectancy at birth, 2024

    78.9 years

    A World Bank estimate, which the World Bank revises as new data comes in.

    Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators: Life expectancy at birth, total (years) (CC BY 4.0 (credit the World Bank)), data as of December 31, 2024. See the chart

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  2. U.S. life expectancy at birth at the start of CDC's record, 1900

    47.3 years

    Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Death rates and life expectancy at birth (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of December 31, 2018. See the chart

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  3. Leading cause of death, 12 months through June 2025

    204 per 100,000 people

    Heart disease. Deaths in a year, provisional.

    Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Quarterly provisional estimates of mortality (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of June 30, 2025. See the chart

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  4. Second leading cause of death, 12 months through June 2025

    183 per 100,000 people

    Cancer. Deaths in a year, provisional.

    Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Quarterly provisional estimates of mortality (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of June 30, 2025. See the chart

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  5. Third leading cause of death, 12 months through June 2025

    56 per 100,000 people

    Unintentional injuries. Deaths in a year, provisional. Unintentional injuries include accidental overdoses, falls and traffic crashes.

    Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Quarterly provisional estimates of mortality (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of June 30, 2025. See the chart

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  6. Leading cause of death at ages 15 to 24, 12 months through June 2025

    24 per 100,000 people

    Unintentional injuries. Deaths in a year among people that age, provisional.

    Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Quarterly provisional estimates of mortality (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of June 30, 2025. See the chart

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  7. U.S. drug overdose deaths, 12 months ending May 2026

    65,351

    Provisional, and the latest months are slightly undercounted while some causes of death are investigated.

    Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Provisional drug overdose death counts (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of May 31, 2026. See the chart

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  8. Most drug overdose deaths in 12 months since CDC's counts began in 2015, 12 months ending June 2023

    111,466

    Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Provisional drug overdose death counts (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of May 31, 2026. See the chart

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  9. Overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, mostly illegally made fentanyl, 12 months ending May 2026

    33,959

    Provisional. A death can involve more than one drug.

    Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Provisional drug overdose death counts (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of May 31, 2026. See the chart

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  10. U.S. drug overdose death rate, 12 months through June 2025

    20.8 per 100,000 people

    Age-adjusted and provisional.

    Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Quarterly provisional estimates of mortality (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of June 30, 2025. See the chart

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  11. Highest drug overdose death rate among the states and D.C., 12 months through June 2025

    43.6 per 100,000 people

    Alaska. Age-adjusted and provisional.

    Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Quarterly provisional estimates of mortality (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of June 30, 2025. See the chart

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  12. Teen birth rate, 2024

    12.6 per 1,000

    Births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19.

    Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, Birth rates for females by age group and Health, United States (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of December 31, 2024. See the chart

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  13. U.S. health spending per person, 2023

    $13,473

    What governments, insurers and households paid for health care, but not new hospitals or equipment, in dollars of that year.

    Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators: Current health expenditure per capita (current US$) (CC BY 4.0 (credit the World Bank)), data as of December 31, 2023. See the chart

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What these numbers can and can't tell you

CDC's recent death counts and rates are provisional and may change as records are completed.

Death rates are per 100,000 people in a year. The overdose rates are age-adjusted, so states with older or younger populations compare fairly.

The World Bank's life expectancy estimate comes mostly from United Nations population models, so it can differ a little from the CDC's own figure for the same year.

More: the data as a free feed and all statistics pages.